I made it… I made it through the week… I couldn't believe I made it through the week! My hands shook, pale and sore just like my back…and my neck…and my head…and the rest of my body. I was covered in bruises and soreness. I think I even had a broken hand. They…they liked to beat me up.

There was darkness. The atmosphere was gloomy and terrifying. I was alone, too… Well I never knew if I was really alone. Because of them. I was leaning against the trunk of a very roughly textured tree in a forest…in the middle of who knows where. There was absolute silence. I was so frightened… I shouldn't have been resting right now; I should have been running. That's what I was made to do, right? Then why wasn't I? Because my legs were sore…and I was sore…but whenever I closed my eyes I saw their faces. All of them… and I cried. I cried when I saw their faces.

"Please, God, save me," I sobbed, choking on my words. I said this to myself, quietly.

My heart was still beating frantically. I was out of breath and I could not possibly go on. Yet if I tried resting for any longer then they would find me and kill me. There was a slight bit of pride inside of me because…HA! Because I tricked them!

Every time, they sent me a note somehow to instruct me where to go. They said they would be waiting for me there. They would give me money for a flight and they would tell me where to start. I would go to that state and they would hunt me. I knew they went easy on me, but their "easy" almost nearly killed me. I was their game. They tortured me.

A rustle in the bushes alerted my attention and I silently gasped. They were here. They were here because they found me. To think what they would do to me when I disobeyed their orders! They'd surely kill me! I'd be "ruining their fun" so I wouldn't be worthy of living anymore! I was terrified. I would rather die than live on as their game; their toy. I tried to imagine myself about to jump out of an airplane without a parachute into a volcano. That calmed me down just a bit; because that would be a better alternative than living on like this.

"No… No! Please, no!" I mouthed, trembling uncontrollably.

I closed my eyes and turned my head away, waiting for the pain.

The rustling grew louder and suddenly a rustling of something different attracted my attention.

What completely took me off guard was the whimper.

A whimper… It was an animal's whimper. Like…a dog's whimper.

"P-please don't-!" I gasped without looking.

The little whimper became a whine, a long little keen that sounded like the animal was in pain. No! They didn't know the freakin' definition of pain until they lived a week in my life! Ha! And I had more than a week! I've had three freaking years! Since I was twelve I've been suffering because of their little "game."

I dared to look now. I dared to look up and I did and I gasped. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to prevent any screaming. In front of me was a giant…wolf. I had seen a couple wolves in my life and this was far bigger than any wolf I had ever seen in my life! He had a sandy coat and his gangly figure indicated to me that he was a young wolf; young but still unnaturally huge in size. I avoided looking into his eyes. If this was some allusion from Karina (she was one of those who hunted me for fun), then the wolf would have blood red eyes glistening in even the midnight as bright as though they would in the sun.

The wolf suddenly disappeared. There was a rustling in the bushes and I was afraid of what was coming next. I was in tears now, sobbing silently. What else could I do but sob? I was going to die. I was finally going to die. Or maybe suffer worse… maybe they would turn me into one of them. Oh, how I'd HATE that! I sobbed even more now.

The rustling stopped. I grasped the long grass underneath my fingers and cried silently.

I turned to look at the wolf again, or my Hunters if it was them, and instead I saw a human. A human that wasn't pale… A human that wasn't silent… a human who was half dressed in just a pair of ripped jeans. I bit my lower lip. Handsome, yes, as all of my Hunters were… but his skin was not pale and did not show in the moonlight.

He approached me and I finally cried out a little sob.

"N-n-n-no! P-please don't-!" I whimpered, trying to back around the tree.

"Shh…don't move," the voice whispered. He sounded like a boy. Like… my age. Yet his body was one of a young man; a grown man… He looked to be almost in his twenties or maybe a bit younger… Strange that his voice sounded like a boy my age.

I was still terrified. His voice was beautiful. And that was another sign that he was one of my hunters; I was so accustomed to recognizing a beautiful voice and a beautiful body as meaning they were of the species of my Hunters. This boy was beautiful when I looked at him (still avoiding his eyes, might I add).

He inched closer to me and this time, to my repulsion toward myself, I hesitated before inching away again. His hand extended toward me and he was bending down toward me. Of course… play the innocent act before you kill me! I sobbed again and shook my head.

"No! No, stay away! Please, I-I didn't mean to-! I was so fr-frightened-! Please don't-!" I cried, begging now. I was begging…begging as much as I could.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the boy said.

"Liar! You all do! You all hurt me! Always!" I cried and slammed my head back against the rock-hard tree trunk. I whimpered now as the pain in my head increased significantly.

"Wh-? No…shh… it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise," he said. I cried. I couldn't move any further without standing up; there was a huge root sticking out of the ground to my side. I whimpered. He reached his hand out. If he inched any closer, he could touch me. No! No more cold skin… No more cold skin…

He did.

His hand found my shoulder and I screamed as loud as I could. No! No, no! No. No…N-? What? My eyes shot back open and I gasped. His hand was scorching; scorching like, not like dry ice cold, but like a fever hot. My heart suddenly calmed down a bit. I still did not look at his face.

"Wh-Who are you? No, wait! What are you?" I stuttered. I whimpered when his hand drifted down my arm to my hand, which was smaller in his hand. "A-Are you with them?"

I sniffed, rubbing away my tears with my sweater sleeve.

"A…guy. I'm here to help though. 'Them'? What do you mean, 'them'?" His voice was so soft and sweet…and gentle. He was so one of them… and yet the temperature of his skin told me otherwise. Plus he didn't know what I was talking about.

"Never mind…ah!" I gasped and winced as his hand that held mine squeezed it a bit. This was the hand that I was sure was broken.

"Sorry… it hurts?"

I bit my lower lip and nodded.

"…Can you stand?" he continued.

I shook my head immediately.

"No. No I can't! It hurts," I whimpered, tears streaming down my cheeks again.

"I'm sorry… here…ready and brace yourself," he murmured as his hand travelled to my forearm and his other hand found my waist. I gasped at this, and screamed when he pulled me up on to my feet. But he did more than that. My feet touched the ground for less than a second, and I was suddenly in his arms, carried bridal style.

"N-no! What-? Let me down!" I cried. He huffed slowly.

"…You said you can't walk…" he murmured. I slammed my good fist against his chest and cringed. It was like hitting hardness overlaid by softness.

"I know but-! Stop, please! You're scaring me to death!" I cried, but his warmth consequentially sent me burying my face in his chest. I gasped at what I had done once realization hit me and pulled away.

"Um… you need help. Like, a lot. Your hand looked broken and geez you've got a lotta bruises," he murmured. I blushed; even blushing hurt.

"It's 'cause of them," I sniffed.

"Who?"

It took me a moment to notice that he was carrying me somewhere. Away from the tree I had been lying against.

"W-Where're you taking me?" I whimpered. It hurt to struggle so I didn't try much.

"Shh… we're gonna get some help, 'kay?" he whispered to me.

I sobbed and struggled, and then winced and cried out when it hurt so much. He stopped walking for a moment.

"What's wrong?" he said. I could hear some frustration in his voice.

I bit my tongue and shook my head. A little sob escaped from me and I whined a "uhn-uh!" (A.k.a, "no!")

"C'mon just tell me! Just-! Hey. Look at me. Look at me. Look into my eyes. Don't be afraid. Hey, can you hear me? Listen to me; look at me," he said softly but firmly. His voice was so…gentle. So calming…I hadn't heard a tone like that since my mom was killed by my hunters.

She had tried a trick like I had; she ran away and took me with her. When she was dying; they had drained almost all of her blood from her body and left her with broken legs to die.

"Hey, hey, look at me sweetie," my mom had said. She lifted my chin with her finger so that I'd look at her. She was propped up against the side of her bed and I was crying beside her. "We're gonna be okay, alright, honey? Look at me, sweetie." I looked up at her into her eyes.

And then she died.

This boy's tone reminded me of my mom's.

There was no way I could resist the tone. I did as he said and I finally looked up into his eyes. His expression was a little serious at first; but after a second it changed completely. In the moonlight I saw his eyes widen and a twinkle of surprise in them. His eyes were dark brown, a very pretty dark brown. Yet it was the look in his eyes that perplexed me so. He had this look of amazement; of astonishment; and of something deeper…

"What?" I mumbled.

His head jerked back a bit and his mouth snapped shut. He cleared his throat.

"Wow…"

"What?" I demanded.

"…Hi," he breathed.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked, a little amused.

"Um…hi," I mumbled. "Now tell me where we're going," I insisted.

He suddenly chuckled and I was so dazzled by his sparkling, pure white, perfect teeth.

"I'm taking you to some of my friends and family. There's a doctor in the family," he explained.

I was unconvinced.

"Mmm…no. Set me down, now!" I demanded.

"Why?" He was suddenly frowning. I felt his arms tighten around me and I gasped.

"'Cause! You don't want to be around me! I'm dangerous," I snapped.

He scoffed.

"Like I'd care if you were dangerous. But I've gotta ask: how is a petite, injured, little girl like you…'dangerous'?"

I blushed.

"It's not me. It's the people who hunt me," I said gravely. His arms turned as hard as stone around me and he froze again in his tracks.

"'Hunt'?" he repeated, his arms trembling all of a sudden. I heard him taking deep, slow breaths for a while and I waited for him to stop until I spoke. "Sorry. Explain," he mumbled.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me:

"Wait! No, tell me later with the others," he told me. "Close you eyes and tuck your head against my chest," he instructed.

I scoffed and frowned.

"Why would I do that?" I snapped.

He groaned.

"Please just do it!"

His arms tightened around me and I didn't protest. I grumbled a bit, but I tucked myself against his chest and closed my eyes.

Wind rushed around me and I clenched my teeth. It felt good; with the breeze and his scorching, feverish, skin.

When the wind stopped, I gasped. My eyes shot open and the boy chuckled. I looked up at him and noticed that he was looking down at me.

"Did you just run?" I gasped. He grinned and nodded.

"I'm Seth Clearwater," he introduced. I blushed. Wow…he was cute, fast, and his name was sexy.

I gasped at my own thoughts and shook them away from my head. Just because he was all of that, didn't mean I could trust him. I couldn't trust anyone…

"What's wrong?"

His eyes were still full of that deep, mysterious, but beautiful look that was unrecognizable to me.

"Nothin'," I mumbled.

He chuckled.

He stood in silence for a moment, me still wrapped in his strong arms.

"So…what's your name?"

He was suddenly so friendly…so charming.

I blushed again.

"Um…" I hesitated.

Seth laughed softly.

"S'okay. I'm not pressuring you into telling me—"

"Eliza Young."